Saturday, May 21, 2011

Date of Arrival at Iona of the Heart or The Second Coming

Iona of the Heart! That holy place in each of us, that "place of resurrection", that solitary place St. Columba's rule tells us to find is our place of transformation, and it is not a one-time event, but continuously calls to us to be renewed, reformed so as to live the life of Love we are called to live.

This rapture thing, so filled with fear rather than the "rapture of love," is getting sadder and sicker as it becomes more evident that so many are going to be hurt. The "second coming" happens every time a life is transformed by the FIRST coming of Jesus and all He taught! THAT's the lesson--a mystical lesson about inner transformation of our consciousness, our awareness of our spiritual being choosing in freedom to love--but some would rather focus on taking the words literally than do the work of changing their priorities and values. It's easier to deal with a Boogieman God than a God of Love Who obliges us to live a life of love!

I've done a lot of joking about this May 21st date. The "predicted" earthquake, the craziness of millions of dead bodies being raised from their physical graves or wherever they ended up at the bottom of the sea or the bellies of fish, being tossed around (those not glorified) and five months of us all stepping over them waiting for our final destruction on October 21st! I think it's all nuts, but more seriously, I believe it is such an ignorant deception distracting people of good will (mostly) from the meat of Faith, and encouraging them by fear to depend only upon the milk of Faith to sustain themselves. Depending upon the milk means we remain as children, thinking as children, reasoning as children. When we put away childish things we reason as mature beings, and it's far easier to see clearly that it is only by Love that we are "saved."

Depending upon "the milk" means we go no deeper than the words of the story. We look not to the lesson or the intended meaning (personal transformation from being self-centered animals to loving caring creatures), but remain content with the story that feeds our own agenda, anger, fears, and our need to be in control of others and especially those who differ religiously. We understand God in our image.

Being fed by "the meat" of Faith (the mystical reality) nourishes us spiritually so that we no longer see reality only as through a mirror dimly, but with the clarity that comes from unselfish love. Life becomes so much more than a "veil of tears" but a promised land of contemplative union with the Creator...and one another.

We can't stop with the words. We need to progress on toward the Word, the true meaning. We can study, we can consider and learn from theologians, we can look to the endless world stories telling about the beginning and end of the world, but unless we go within, meet God there, we learn little of the lessons all are intended to teach us. When we go within, open our minds and hearts to the living God, we will surely be caught up in the rapture of endless Love, with that God Who IS Love. The rest of life then flows from that...

The picture here is of the remains of two people discovered under the remains of volcanic ash. They knew the meaning of eternal love, by the looks of them. I don't believe God's idea is much different, frankly. Care for one another to the end!

Enjoy May 21st and give God thanks for knocking at the door your heart each day.

About Me

I'm a Catholic woman, ordained a priest in 1997, and consecrated a bishop in 2016 in the Celtic
Christian Church, an independent Old Catholic Celtic Rite Church. I am
65 years old, married 35 years to my best friend, and the mother of a beautiful adult
daughter. My husband and I have been living in Christian community for several years. I am now widowed, and still in community.

I have a few blogs on different subjects:

Approaching Iona contains
sporadic reflections on living as a Celtic Christian today, within the
Church Catholic.

At the End of the Day is a blog about what I think is
important...at the end of the day.